FILE = "README.TXT"

Files contained in CONGRESS.ZIP are data files containing individual level data 
for each member of Congress, 1960-93. 

HOUSE DATA: HOU6093.DAT

This file contains individual level data for members of the House of Representatives, 
1960-93. This is a tab delimited ascii file.  Variables are as follows:

STATE: numeric state code, where 1=AL and 50=WY (states are in alphabetical 
       order)

YEAR: year 

DISTRICT: Congressional district number; at-large districts=55

PARTY: party of representative; 1=Democrat, 2=Republican

ADA: ADA score for representative for that year

COPE: COPE score for representative for that year

COAD_I: Average of ADA and COPE score for representative (INCIDEO in equation 1 of 
        the AJPS article)

DVOTE1: Democratic vote(%) for that district in the most recent past election*

DVOTE2: Democratic vote(%) for that district in the closest upcoming election*

INCUMBWT: Estimated voter support for incumbent (INCSUPP in equation 1 of the
          AJPS article)

CHALLWT:  Estimated voter support for challenger (CHALSUPP in equation 1 of the
          AJPS article) 

*Note: Vote shares for uncontested elections were estimated by an 
interpolation strategy described in the unpubished supplement to
the AJPS article.


SENATE DATA: SEN6093.WK1 

This LOTUS spreadsheet file contains individual level ideology ratings and (electoral) 
vote data for U.S. Senators.  Variables are as follows: 

NAME: Name

STATE: Numbered 1-50 in alphabetical order (AL=1, WY=50)

DISTRICT: For each Senate seat, this variable is defined as the year
	  in which the particular Senator serving in 1961 was elected.
	  Values for this variable are 56, 58 and 60.  This variable
	  is useful for data manipulation as it isolates each individual seat.
	  This variable also allows one to figure out the years in which 
	  elections are held for that seat.

PARTY: 1=Dem, 2=Rep

YEAR: Year of session

VOTE: Vote (%) of party of sitting Senator in the most recent election (100=
	uncontested).
	
INTVOTE: Same as "vote", but uncontested elections (i.e., incumbant
	vote=100) are recoded so that vote shares are estimated by 
	interpolation (see "Unpublished Supplement")

INTBONUS: Same as "intvote", but for uncontested elections (interpolated
	values) a 10% "bonus" is added (see "Unpublished Supplement")

ELECYR: For each seat, 1=election year, 0=no election during that year

INCUMBWT: Estimated voter support for incumbent (INCSUPP in equation 1 of the
          AJPS article).
          
ADA: Incumbent's ADA score for that year

COPE: Incumbent's COPE score for that year

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